street market / 2 posts found

The best things to do in Milan this week, including Music, Art, Museums, Shopping and Restaurants, chosen by Bella Milano Tours.

VINTAGE MARKET – On Friday 22, in the streets around the ancient Basilica of Saint’Ambrogio, the bi-monthly Little Market will welcome you with stalls full of quality handmade Art and Craft: antiques and vintage furniture, handmade accessories, fancy jewels. A treasure trove for everybody. From 9 am to 7 pm.

Dan Flavin – Santa Maria Annunciata

ART LIGHT – The American minimalistic artist Dan Flavin is famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from fluorescent light fixtures. Galleria Cardi, in corso di Porta Romana 38, is hosting an exhibition of 14 of his works, spanning the arc of his career. Milan also houses a very emotional installation by Flavin, Untitled, which is in the little church of Santa Maria Annunciata in Chiesa Rossa. It was completed two days before Flavin’s death on November 26, 1996 and installed a year later, and it is made with green and blue neon lights for the main nave, red in the transept and yellow for the apse.

TOP WINES – The Science and Technology Museum is going to house Simply the Best, a wine show which boasts to host only the best wines from all over Italy. The selection is actually strict: only wines included in at least 3 of the 7 most important Italian wine guides will be admitted to the show. Guides are: Vitae, Bibenda, Veronelli, DoctorWine, L’Espresso, Gambero Rosso and Slow Wine. A great chance to taste products from the finest wineries in Italy. Monday 25 from 5.30 to 8.30, registration on the website is required.

Peck CityLife

GOURMET FOOD – Famous Peck, “the Tiffany of groceries”, has given birth to a little child: Peck CityLife, at the foot of the three new skyscrapers sorrounding the brand new piazza Tre Torri. It has three roles in one venue: a gourmet food store, an elegant restaurant, and a cocktail-bistrot. Valerio M. Visintin, chief food journalist at Corriere della Sera, awarded the new Peck a flattering mark: 7. We recommend it also for the design, with details reminding of landmarks in Milan such as Torre Velasca.

MUST DO – A private guided walking tour in Milan with us! This week we recommend the Aperitivo Tour: the perfect way to enjoy the unusually mild weather of these last February days.

If you happen to be in Milan on the second week of December, here are 5 things you should know about St Ambrose’s Day, which is celebrated on December 7th.

1 – St Ambrose was the bishop of Milan at the end of the fourth century after Christ. He is the patron saint of Milan, and the Feast of Saint Ambrose is a day off for most people here. Besides, it is followed by another public holiday, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, on December 8th, so a lot of Milanese will take the chance to have a nice extra break from work just before the long Christmas holiday. But don’t worry: while companies shut down, shops and stores are well open and happy to welcome you! December 7th is also the best moment to visit the Basilica of St Ambrose, dating from the IV century AD. With the help of a local guide you will discover all the amazing stories surrounding such an ancient building.

“Oh bej oh bej” street market

2 – St Ambrose’s day is the official start for Christmas Season in Milan, and the moment when Christmas lights were traditionally turned on. But we all want to get into the festive spirit as soon as possible, so thanks to globalization nowadays we have anticipated to Black Friday the day when all Christmas lights are switched on. Yet in the case of the 30-metre Christmas tree standing in Duomo square it seems that tradition will be respected, therefore we have to wait until Thursday evening for the magic moment.

3 – The Feast of St Ambrose in Milan is synonym to “Oh Bej Oh Bej” street market. From December 7th to Sunday 10th , from 8.30 am to 9 pm, the whole area around the imposing Sforza Castle will be busy with people trying an assortment of local food and drinks, as well as shopping at colourful arts and crafts stalls. The funny name of this market, which sounds like “obey”, means “oh beautiful oh beautiful” in local dialect. According to a legend, on December 7th 1510 Giannetto Castiglione, delegate of Pope Pius IV, was visiting Milan and in order to ingratiate himself with the Milanese he entered the city carrying boxes full of sweets and toys for the local children, who welcomed him with cheerful cries: “Oh bej! Oh bej!”

Riccardo Chailly will be the conductor of “Andrea Chenier”

4 – It is on St Ambrose’s Day that the world-famous La Scala Opera House starts its season. La Scala’s opening night is one of the most glamorous annual occasions in Italy, and tickets are only affordable for the happy few, but as usual the premiere – this year, Umberto Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier” – will be screened live around the city, so that all milanesi and visitors, and even jail inmates, can enjoy such high point of Milan’s cultural calendar. The opera will be broadcast live (and free) at many venues such as the Octagon of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and even on the national tv channel Rai5.

5 – If you are not really fond of opera, then you may like superstar pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi, who is going to play at Teatro Dal Verme from December 8th to 17th. His shows are almost sold out, so hurry up if you want to listen to his minimalistic, mesmerizing melodies.

BONUS – 6 – If you have kids and you are desperately looking for engaging activities for them, do not miss“City Booming Milano”at Palazzo dei Giureconsulti in via Mercanti (just in front of Duomo). It is a spectacular diorama made of 7 million Lego bricks and representing a megacity with its skyscrapers, streets, shops and 6.000 mini citizens. Look carefully and, among the crowd, you’ll spot Batman, Harrison Ford and the Simpsons!